Micro Seeker LADAR (MSL)

Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) proposes a micro LADAR for Micro Sized Unmanned Aircraft Systems for collision avoidance, targeting and tracking. The 2 in³ LADAR is an extension of the SPEC LADAR family, operating at 850nm class 1M eye-safe, allowing minimal size, power and cost. The system uses a miniaturized 0.304 in³ spinning prism style scanner and 0.196 in³ receive optics. The receiver uses an existing 1x2 inch MCM-L board with pipeline processing. It detects the first three objects in range, with range accuracy to 3mm at close range and a 2 Mega pixel per second acquisition rate. The receiver has a s/n ratio of 6/1 on single photon detects, using a SiPMT sensor. The transmitter laser is integrated with collimator and beam former. The LADAR has day night operation 320m range in weather to heavy thunder storm (0.1 reflectivity target). The LADAR has 48 FOV scan and a 2 steradian FOR. LADAR image is pipelined processed through two FPGAs, processing raw 14.5Gb data stream to a calibrated, X,Y,Z, amplitude image with first or last pixel processing. The image is strap down stabilized by the IMU. BENEFIT: The Micro Seeker LADAR allows MUAS to operate at low altitude avoiding obstacles at significant range. It allows target discrimination even under heavy foliage or camouflage and precision guidance and tracking in a weapons delivery mode. Other uses of the unit are for collision avoidance, landing assistance, wire detection and unmanned object guidance for a variety of ground vehicles. The LADAR can also be used for sensitive facility monitoring as it sees through camouflage and heavy grass.